Tablets, handheld devices and wearable device are all examples of personal computing devices which can provide a user with ready access to a plenitude of information. For vehicle operators in particular, such as train engineers, aircraft and watercraft pilots, or automobile drivers for example, a personal computing device can run applications that can access the vehicle's data bus and communicate with on-board computers and/or sensors. The personal computing device can thus be utilized by the vehicle operator to monitor on-board vehicle equipment operating status and health information, link with navigation systems to monitor and/or control vehicle position, target destinations, and route information, upload application updates or database updates to the on-board computers, or for many other purposes. Furthermore, applications that execute on personal computing devices can avoid regulatory certifications often required for applications executed directly by on-board vehicle computers.
However, one challenge that remains is how to establish a communication link between the vehicle operator's personal computing device and the on-board system that is secure, high speed, and neither causes or receives interference with other on-board electronics. While a physical cable may provide these features, such tethering of the personal computing device largely interferes with the convenience of the personal computing device being mobile. Wireless radio communication provide the convenience of mobility, but these links are not secure in that their signals can be intercepted by non-authorized users and/or interfered with. Moreover, wireless radio communication signals have been shown to interference with on-board electronics, which can lead to safety concerns such as when the vehicle is an aircraft.
For the reasons stated above and for other reasons stated below which will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the specification, there is a need in the art for optical wireless communications for vehicle operator personal computing devices.